Indivisibles,

Leah and I just sent you one of our always-too-long Leah/Ezra letters on Friday (looking forward to reading replies!), so I’ll try my best to keep this short. I want to talk about the Presidential debates, Indivisible’s plan for beating Trump, and the fact that we’re 22% down on our fundraising for the month. So, yes, this is sort of another ask for money in your email inbox (mine is full of them too). If you can click here to help us make up the gap -- awesome. But it’s more than that -- so hear me out.

Look, I’m loving these Democratic presidential debates. We’ve got a ton of inspiring candidates running. It’s downright exciting to think that in 18 months one of these folks will be President-Elect. And what we know from our surveys is that Indivisibles are poking and prodding, and considering the options. Some Indivisibles are supporting one, and many are supporting multiple candidates. 

This is why we launched the Indivisible Pledge a few months ago. The basic idea was this: we’ve got to engage in a rigorous, constructive primary focused on the issues to get the best nominee. And also, at the end of the day, the nominee is our nominee. We’re going to rally around that candidate and we’re going to do everything we can to make them the next President -- no ifs, ands, or buts.

All 10 of tonight's candidates have signed the Indivisible Pledge. As of right now, 7 of the 10 on stage tomorrow have signed (Gabbard, Yang, and Bennet haven't.) In other words, every major candidate has rallied around the Indivisible pledge. Only one of these candidates will get the nomination -- and we’re going to ensure whoever that is defeats Trump.

So this is where the ask for money comes: you might have picked your favorite candidate. Maybe you’ve donated to a couple -- Leah and I have too. That’s great, and important. 

Here’s my promise: every single dollar contributed to Indivisible Action is a dollar that will be spent on defeating Trump, taking the Senate, holding the House, and building progressive power throughout the country. Indivisible is investing in that goal beyond the primary right now.

But like I said at the top -- we’re down 22% on our fundraising this month. In 2.5 years at Indivisible, I’ve literally never written one of these “we’re short for the month!” emails -- but it’s true now. The candidates are raising tens of millions of dollars and asking Democrats for a lot. It’s a tough environment for those of us also working towards that longer-term 2020 goal. 

I eat, breath, and sleep Indivisible (Leah and I both do). I believe this work is utterly critical for retaking power in 2020 and saving democracy in 2021. So that’s why I’m emailing you -- if you can click here to donate and help us close this gap, you’ll be directly helping achieve that goal we all want to achieve. I don’t like asking for money, but I think of an investment in Indivisible as more than that -- it’s one simple opportunity to be part of this big nationwide effort that we’re all building together.

You know Indivisible -- we don’t take money from corporations or candidates, and our single largest source of support is grassroots donations. You can read about our fundraising philosophy here -- it’s the same philosophy we’ve had since we started.

We are building the 2020 Blue Wave right now. We’re doing national trainings, building text messaging and event tools, and we’re supporting a national team across the country to work directly with Indivisible movement leaders. Not all of this is big and splashy like the Indivisible Pledge, but this is what building the 2020 Blue Wave looks like -- and Indivisible is doing it. We want to do all we can -- but that depends on raising grassroots dollars -- and that’s why I’m writing this email telling you about the 22% shortfall for July.

Our team tells me that people like these quick donate links. They strike me as a little salesman-y, but let’s see if you prefer them. If you’ve saved your info with ActBlue, you can just click on one of these links to automatically donate -- super simple. We’re also sending new Indivisible stickers to anyone who opts for recurring monthly donations (which just help us plan better).

If you’ve saved your information with ActBlue Express Lane, your donation to Indivisible Action will go through immediately:

OK! Fundraising pitch done. Last thing I’ll say is this: you know that this Indivisible movement isn’t about money. Money helps us sustain it, but Indivisible is about people power. If you don’t have a few bucks to spare, that’s fine! You don’t have to give money to be part of Indivisible. You just have to make your voice heard and stand with fellow Indivisibles in your community. This is how we’re going to beat Trump, retake power, and save democracy. And if you got to the end of this email, you’re part of this regardless of what’s in your bank account. So let’s continue building this thing together.

As always in solidarity,

Ezra Levin
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Indivisible